Blind Eyes, Strong Heart
by roo17
Summary: Ace has recently become the second commander and has taken it upon himself to make sure the others stay safe. So in the midst of a surprise ambush, Ace protects Marco from an unexpected attack. But the result of the attack leaves Ace blind and vulnerable. He doesn't want to be a burden to the crew and decides to keep it a secret. But nothing gets past the eyes of a phoenix.


Blind Eyes, Strong Heart  
Chapter One: Ace, Meet Sumac Oil

_**Summary:**__ Ace has recently become the second commander and has taken it upon himself to make sure the others stay safe. So in the midst of a surprise ambush, Ace protects Marco from an unexpected attack. But the result of the attack leaves Ace blind and vulnerable. He doesn't want to be a burden to the crew and decides to keep it a secret. But nothing gets past the eyes of a phoenix.  
__**Pairings: None. The other story though called Blind in the Eyes of a Lover (which will be uploaded on the 15th) is the Marco x Ace, Ace x Marco version.  
**__**Warning:**__ ooc. Just to let you know, I've altered the way Sumac and Egyptian Senna a lot to work to fit into this story. I actually got the idea from an episode on Xena: The Warrior Princess called 'Blind Fate.'_

_**XxXxX  
**__**There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.**_

_**I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.**_

_**-J.R.R Tolkien  
**__**XxXxX**_

_'I don't deserve to live,' _was a thought that always ran through his head. _'But they deserve to live. I will protect my family with my life.' _He stood tall as he stared over the railing's side, watching the water zoom by as fish jumped by from the water alongside the boat and seagulls swooped down to snatch them for an easy snack. For years Ace had wondered if he deserved to live and never once did he think he did. He was nothing but an insignificant misfit who was simply looking for a place in life, or if he even had one. And finally, he thought, he found it here on the Moby Dick as commander of the second division. His gray eyes turned to look at his new family members, all of them enjoying themselves as usual on this bright and sunny day. The scene brought a gentle smile to the male's face. He would watch over them, protect them all at any cost if the time came. Because deep down, Ace didn't care if he died, especially if it was while protect his newfound nakama.

Across the deck, next to Oyaji's side, stood Marco, Ace's closest friend. The blond gave a lively laugh with his father as the crew continued to goof off, living life to its fullest with each other. The scene brought a warm smile to Ace's lips and he rested his head into his hand to enjoy the sight. Thatch, his other closest friend, nudged Marco in the ribs and pointed to some hilarious act off the side and both broke into chuckles. His two close friends. Just seeing them happy was enough to make Ace happy. Happy…

The word brought Luffy's face into Ace's mind and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle himself. He wondered how his little, trouble-making brother was and if he was alright. _'He's fine,'_ Ace reassured himself. _'That kid may look weak, but he's harder to kill than a cockroach. Just two more years and I'll be able to see that ridiculously big and goofy grin of his. Heh, I never thought I'd miss it so much.' _He thought how strange it was how he had left his younger brother back home only to find himself surrounded by fifteen new older brothers and a father.

A father… His grip slightly tightened. He finally had a father figure. He had someone to call _oyaji._ He had been skeptical about it before, seeing as the word 'father' to him was a troubling thing. But with the help of Marco's words and Thatch's kindness, he was able to open up to the idea that he could indeed call someone 'father' without snarling or growling. And even though they were his closest friends, Ace never could tell Marco and Thatch who his real father was. No, he only wanted a few to know. So he kept it a secret, hiding it with all the other things he kept hidden out of sight from others.

Pulling away from his thoughts, he dropped his gaze from his family to the floor before turning back to the blue and white horizon. The wind blew through his hair and the spray of the ocean tickled his skin lightly. _'This is what freedom feels like,' _he thought, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath of fresh air. _'The sun on your face, the wind blowing through your hair, a place to call home on the open ocean, the sigh of your family having a great time… Yes, this is what true freedom feels like.'  
_

* * *

The attack had come out of nowhere. They had just docked at an island to restock their provisions when members of the Knicker Pirates jumped at them from the bushes and hiding spots. It came without warning most of the crew was taken by surprise, especially since they had drank quite a bit before docking. Ace heard about this group of pirates and how they were known for using dirty tricks and kairoseki weapons in battle. Which is why when Ace found himself near Marco during the ambush and saw a rather large man carrying a cutlass and barrel run towards his friend's turned back, he threw himself in front of the attack.

The barrel's contents were splashed onto his face and he let out a hiss as a large amount of the liquid made it into his eyes. He quickly went to wipe the substance out of his eyes when he felt the tip of the enemy's kairoseki-tipped cutlass graze his ribs, leaving a thin wound on the logia user's ribs. He quickly ignored the wound as it was nothing more than a large paper-cut and quickly threw a Hiken at the man. He continued to wipe and blink away the oil from his eyes, giving a frustrated growl. "Ace! Are you okay?" He gave a quick nod and scanned the battlefield with his gray eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just be careful, these guys aren't messing around." Marco gave a nod and the two headed off to help their fellow nakama. The Whitebeard Pirates were the victors, of course, but some still sustained injuries. Luckily none of them were serious, just minor scrapes and fractures here and there. Ace put a small patch over his wound and gave a sigh, wiping his eyes as he felt the invisible slime of the oil. It felt like it was still there even though he had washed his eyes out several times. Just what the hell was in that oil?

"There you are, we've been looking for you." The freckled male looked up to see Thatch and Marco approach. Thatch had a bandaged around his hand and another around his forehead.

"Thatch, are you alright?" The male shrugged slightly as he clasped his hands behind his head.

"I'm fine, they're just scrapes. The nurses insisted they bandage me though. I think it was just an excuse to touch me." Ace and Marco rolled their eyes and a passing nurse scoffed.

"In your dreams, Thatch." The male slightly deflated but the group of friends laughed nonetheless. Finally, Marco turned to the youngest with a smile.

"I never got a chance to thank you for earlier. Thanks, Ace." The male waved it aside.

"Don't mention it. Just keeping an eye out for my nakama, make sure you're all safe. Well I think I'm gonna git the hay, get a little nap before dinner. Make sure to come and wake me up because if I miss dinner you're both dead. I'll kill you with that glitter I bought last week." He walked off to his room where he fell onto the bed with a sigh. His room was small, nothing special. It had a bed, a dresser, a hanging lantern, a folded lateen under his bed– he always kept extra things around just in case of odd situations-, and a few supply crates, kegs, and a ladder. He had offered his room as a place to store provisions when the supply room was full. Staring at the ceiling, he noticed that that lines looked rather fuzzy and he gave a slightly scowl. That oil really got to his eyes and he didn't' like it. Maybe its effects would wear off soon.

_'But this doesn't make sense,' _the male thought. _'I can see why they bring oil into a fight because once you've soaked your enemy it's easy to catch them on fire and kill them. But I saw no fire during their ambush, so there was no need for the oil. No, this must be a special type. He aimed it directly at my face which could only mean…'_ Ace's eyes narrowed as he sat up and exited his room. He sought out Marco and pulled aside to talk more privately.

"Hey Marco, I was I wondering… Do you know if anyone has some Egyptian Senna on the ship?" The blond blinked at the sudden and random question.

"I don't think anyone does. I think we ran out a few months ago actually. But if I remember correctly, one of the islands we'll be passing has a variety of herbs. You might be able to find some there."

"Okay, good. And, um, how long do you think it would be before we pass this island?"

"Probably five to seven days depending on the weather. Since we'll be passing it though you'd have to take the striker and sail there from the ship. Should take you about two hours or so." Ace gave a smile and nod. "May I ask why you need this specific herb?

"Izo mentioned wanting a good face cream and I thought I'd make him some. Well, thanks. I'll be heading back to take that nap now." Ace gave a quick wave as he left Marco, slightly stumbling over his feet. Marco didn't bother with it though and continued to go on with his business.

The freckled commander gave a small curse under his breath. Five days. It could be too late by then. The sumac oil would settle in by tomorrow morning and blindness would become permanent if not treated within five days. His vision was a constant blur now and it made it hard for him to distinguish small things from each other. _'Well, I guess there's one upside to this. This means I don't have to do that small stack of paperwork now.' _He fell onto his bed and released a sigh, falling into the dark world of slumber.

A knock at the door awoke him from his dreamless sleep. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned loudly. Scratching his chest, he blinked a few more times. His vision was still blurry. _ 'Huh, that's odd... rubbing them usually clears them up.' _He tried it again when it finally dawned on him. _'Ah, that's right. Sumac oil, eyes, blindness. Lovely.'_ Another knock to the door. "Alright already, I'm coming." Opening the door, he saw the two very blurred figures of who he guessed was Thatch and Marco.

"Dinner's ready! See, we didn't forget you. Now you can't kill us with glitter!"

"Dinner already? Sheesh, times flies by when you're exhausted," he mumbled back and rubbed the back of his head. He exited the room and followed his brothers across the deck and into the crowded galley. Grabbing his food and taking a seat, he continued on as if nothing was wrong. Like he wasn't about to lose his eyesight. He laughed and listened to Thatch's jokes and adventures while Marco would make sarcastic comments which would only cause more laughter. Ace wished he could see all those smile again. Marco's playful smirk, Thatch's mischievous smile, and Luffy's goofy grin... He wanted to see them again because after tonight, he knew his world would go dark.

Forever.

**XxXxX  
****And that's the first chapter. There will be a total of six or seven chapters and this will next be updated next week Thursday. So… the 17th! I hope it was alright? If not, I'm sorry. I only got two hours of sleep this morning. Tell me what you think! Hopefully the Marco x Ace version will be put up next week too. Please leave a review! Or Ace will be forced to remain in the darkness… FOREVER! FOREVER! FOREVER! FOR-_ *bangs echo machine to stop*_ Ahem, okay, as I was saying. Leave a review! Please?**

_Ice is the heart's death beat, water is the mind's defeat  
__~roo the psycho_


End file.
